Lock



Jan. 1, 1924 w. s. WITTEN LOCK Filed Nov. 14, 1919 f/ l 0 WM? 1 no 2 3 2 d Patented dan. 1, 1924.

i time LOCK.

i `Application ledNovember 14, 1919.

To @ZZ whom t 'may concern.'

Be it known thatv I, IVILLIAM S. WITTEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to locks or latches of the type shown and described in my application, Serial No. 328,828, filed October Y6, 1919. The characteristic feature of said latch or lock is the useof an inverted T- shaped member which hangs pendulous and normally swings to operative position by gravity. My present invention has for its object to provide a latch or lock for-'doors in which the same principle of construction will be Yapplied in connection with a rotary door knob in such manner that the lock may be applied to house and other doors in the usual way; also to provide means by which the latch may bel locked' in operative position by means of a key or otherwise. Iaccomplish this object as illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter described.y What I regard as new is set forth in the claims.

In thev accompanying drawings,-

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of my improvedA lock and thekeeper associated therewith, showing themmounted in position, respectively, in a door and a door jamb; Y j

Fig. 2 is a partial vertical section Online 2-2 of Fig. 1:

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 isa View similar to Fig. 1, showing some additional features. y

Referring to the drawingsf indicates the door and 6 the doorjamb. 7 indicates the casing Yof the lock whichmay be of .theV provided )with a removusual construction able 'side plate 8.' as shown in Fig. The. casing 7 is adapted to be fitted ina mortise in the vedge ofthe door inthe usual way so thatits faceplate 9 lies flush with the edge of the. door. This face plate is provided with the usual slot 10 for the passage of the latch member hereinafter described.

My improved latch Vcomprises a shank 11 which at or near its upper end is provided with abearing12, preferably oil'settoward the face plate 9, as shown in Fig. 1, said y16 on said. member in position to Serial No. 338,404if.

bearing being adapted toV fit upon av pivotV 13 provided at the upper portion of the cas'- ing 7 near the face plate 9, as shownin said igure.- At the lower'end of the shankll'is a cross-head joined intermediately with said shank to form a latch member 14 at one side of the shank and a Vcounterbalancing member 15 at the opposite side thereof.` Thus the members 11, 14 and 15 present an inverted 'T-shapedv configuration, causing `a tendency of the latch to toward the Vface plate 9. y 14 isso located that it, registers with thev opening 10, thrcugh'which it normally projects, as shown in Figi, the extent to which it so projects beingk limited byra shoulder engage the face plate 9 adjacent to the Vslot 710, ras shown. Asbest shown in Fig. 3, that portion of the latch V1nember'14 which vprojects through the slot 10 `is bevelled or inclined at its opposite vertical sides and is adapted to enter a slot 17 in a keeper-plate 18 secured to the door janib `6, and provided with the usual inclined guide 'plate 19 Vat one side thereof. l/Vhen the door is being closed, one of the bevelled faces of the latch member 14 will engage the Abevelledplate 19 so that the latch will be swung back out of operative position to permit .the door toclose. As soon, however, as-the latch member reaches the slot V17 the latch will swing back by gravity to operative position,v the parts then assuming thepcsition shcwn in Fig.. 3. The purpose of bevalling the other` side: of the latch member 14 is to give said latch member a wedging action in cooperation with the keeper plate, by which rattlingV of the door will beprevented. l' .l

lFor the purpose of unlatching the door the shank 11 is provided atzor near itsupper end with an arm 20 which projects at the side thereof opposite and overlies a cam 21,

The latch member carried by a shaft 22,

upon the outerY ends ofvv which the usual door knobs 28 are mounted. `Freferaby the cani 21 is a disc. flattened on vone side and so disposedthat when the flat side thereof isoppof. site the arm 2O the latch member 14 will bein operative position. By rotating said cam, however, the arm 20 will be movedupward, thereby swinging the .latch in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, and withdrawing the latch member 14 into the casing 7. Preferably the shaft 22 extends swing by gravity 1 the latch'iuember 14 Y I through the door and casing preventing it from springing laterally.'

These guide ribs are, however, not essential, as the cross-head i shank 1l fits closely between the side plates of the casing and resists-.any lateral strains:

to which the latch is subjected.

From theforegoing.` description it` Will be observed that. whenk the earnA 21. is, in the position shown, in Fig, l, the latch1 hangs pendent in suchwpcsitionthat the latchI meinber. 14C' projects thi'foiigli,.tlie slot l), and Whileit maybe thrust back as.` in closing Ythe door, gravity. tendsfto restore it1 to its operativeY position., By. turning the 1Knob, ho'wveyer, ther latch: may. bewitlidrawn and heldin its retractedposition,.although when the lrnob is. turned! 'back toI restore they cani 21g to the position shown. in Fig. lthelatch Willl at once. resume its operativev position.

In. order that the. latch may befloclred in its,l operative. position I provide a vertically movable bolt'25. which. is.. mounted, in the lowervportion. ot. the casing i to; slide. vertically vbetween the inner margin, of said casing. andethe'inner endV of, the member l5, as indicatethby: dotted linesin. Figig l. Ob-

Y viously. when. said -bolt occupies the position shown by said dottedlinesthe latch. cannot be swung bia-ck out of operative position. rIlie bolt 25; is, provided on its inner'inargin with a recess. 26, and a keyhole: 27. is provided in such relation to such recess. that a key inserted, throughy said. keyhole may be turned to engage saidreeess and slide the bolt 25 upward into operative position. When so raised,l the bolt 25 is automatically locked in operative position by Vmeans of an Lfshaped catch 28 WhichA is pivotally suspended upon a pivot` 29 in such position` that its lower or horizontal arm 30 tends to swing to a position under the lower. end oiithebolt 25. IVhen said bolt is in. its lower orl inoperative position the. end or" said? arm 30- lies inthe recess` 26, as. shown in full lines in Fig. l, and when. said bolt is moved up into operative positionE the. catch 28 is iirst swungv to the left as viewed. in said ligure by the inclined` contour ot the recessV 2,6,but as soon as the lower end o't the bolt 25. passes beyond the. arm. 30. said arm swings to the right under the lower end of saidbolt, as shown in dotted lines in Fig, l, thereby holding said bolt in its oper-y ative position, The lreyliole '27 is placed between, the upper portion oitV the catch 28 and the bolt 25 so that by turning thelrey toivard they catch 28? instead kot toward the bolt2-5 it Will swing- 'sa-id catch out of operative positionj and Vrelease the bolt so that it may drop, by gravity to its inoperative po.-

at the lower end ot the in. nig.. i

The construction described provides a door latchy which operates` easily and smoothly, and in which there are yno springs or other delicate partsto get out of order. As there are yvery few parts Yto it and they 'areall ot simple ydesign it may be manuthan theL arni QOand isy disposed at. a4 more acute. angle', to Ithe sha-11k l l to provide lclearance.. tortheoperation` of the yoke, 31. Ob.- Vio.usly,gby. rock-ing.. the, sha-ft 22 the latch may be positively. swung, in either direction so that-.the latch memberVV 14;.1nay beinaganf ally forced outward@ andA wedgedI as tightly as bef desiredfinE the.- lreeper. platetupito the. point. Where vthe`shtuilder 16,I strikes the face platel, Y K l I have. illustratedl also.l means whereby the locking Vbolt -25 may` be moyed up, into operative. position. Without the useV of: a key. Itis Vsometimes desirable: to. pip;-

vide a` device, operableI from. the innerside of. the door only, Jor lookingeitfwithout in,-

Vterfering,with theY doerbeing unloelredg from the outside, and torthispurpose I pnouide the bolt 25'. with a. ping lpwhieh. projects through a slot 3 6. in the sideplatel S and through a corresponding slot inthe,A door, so that by moving.saidxI pin upwardik thegloolt 25` may be litted.V te its Vopera-tiye position Where. 'it will. beV held-r by the., catch 2S. It may afterwards be.V unlocked.. liroin outside by the use of a key, as above described, o nit may be. released.. from inside the, room. by means of a knob 37 connected .vithi an in;

ico

Wardly projecting extension oft the. pivot29,

as illustrated in Fig. 4. lihile my improved. inarily for doors it may; bel useds` tor.. purposeA for whichE it is. suitable.

What L claimA invention and, desire to secure by Letters. Fatenhisy n 1. A lock comprising a lath. 1ne1nber',..a

bolt movable upward. into position Vte lock said: latch ineniloen inl operativeY posi-tionlr adaptedv to y. return to. its inoperati-ye-jr position by. gravity, fand, pendulo-usY catch. movable normally. by, gravity inte position-t0.. held Said' bolt iil'o-reiatiaer9st0n. the pvetal point.. of attachrnent.`of. said .catch beingfat a point laterally removed from the 'patlto travel Q S2d-,b9lt., y

"2: A 100k @mariene a latch' e bei maine upv. 1 im, @naar no' hat said latn membra, 11i. resitie.

lockA isintendedjfprii A adapted to return to its inoperative position by gravity, a gravity operated catch for holding said bolt in operative position, and a keyhole between said bolt and catch whereby a key may be employed either to move said boltto its operative position or to release said catch.

3. A lock comprising a pendulous laterally swinging latch member movable by gravity to its operative position, means cooperating therewith for moving said latch member out of operative position, a bolt movable vertically into position to look said Ylatch member in operative position, and a .pendnlous catch movable normally into position to hold said bolt in -operative position, the pivotal point of attachment of said catch being at a point laterally removed from the path of travel of said bolt. Y

4. A lock comprising a pendulous laterally swinging latch member movable Vby gravity to its operative position, means cooperating therewith for moving saidlatch member out of operative position, a bolt movablel into position to lock said latch member in operative position, a gravity operated catch for holding said bolt in operative position, and a key-hole between said bolt and catch, whereby a key may be employed either to move said bolt to its operative. position or to release said catch.

5. A lock comprising a latch member, a bolt movable vertically into position to lock said latch member in operative position, and a pendulous L-shaped catch for holding said bolt in operative position, the pivotal point of attachment of said catch being at a point laterally removed from the path of travel of said bolt.

6. A lock comprising'a pendulous laterally swinging latch membermovableby gravity to its operative position, means cooperating therewith for moving said latch member outof operative position, a bolt movable upward into position to lock said latch member in operative position and adapted to return to its inoperative position by gravity, and a pendulons L-shaped catch for holding said bolt in operative position, the vpivotal point of attachment of said catch being at a point laterally removed from the path *ofY travel of said bolt. Y Y Y 7. A lock comprising a pendnlous laterally Vswinging' latch member movable by gravity to its -operative position, means cooperating 65 therewith for moving said latch member out of operative position, a bolt movable upward into position toflocksaidlat'ch Vmember in operative positionand adapted to return to its inoperativeposition by gravity, 60

a pendulous L-shaped catch for holding said bolt in operative position, and a keyhole adljacent to said be moved out of operativeposition by a key,

the pivotal .point of attachment of said catch 66 Y I i beingat a point laterally removed from the path of travelof said bolt.

8. A lock comprising a latch member, la i bolt movable into position tov lock'said latchVe member in operative position, a pendulous 70 catch movable normally by gravity into Y position to hold said bolt in operative position, and a knob connected with said catch: for moving the same out of operativeposition.

9. -A lock comprising a pendulous laterally ,l

swinging latch member movable by gravity to its operative position, means cooperating therewith for moving said latch member out of operative position, a bolt movable into 80 position to lock said latch member Vin operative position,-a pendulons catch for holding said boltjin operativeposition,and a knob connected with said catchfor movingVY the same out of operative position. I

10. A lock comprising in combination a latch member, a bolt movable upward to lock Y said latch member in operative position and Y adapted to return to-its inoperative position y gravity, and a pendulous'catch mounted 90V on a pivot laterally removed from the path of movement of said bolt andhaving an approximately-horizontal arm extending toward and normally in contactwith Ysaid bolt,'said arm being adapted to beV turned by 95` I gravity to lie Vbelow said bolt after such bolt has been moved upward to its operativeY position with respect to said' latch.

WILLIAM s. WETEN. Y

catch whereby said catchmay y 

